New Brunswick’s doctors take provincial ideas to Canada’s “Parliament of Medicine”

08/17/2014

New Brunswick’s doctors are in Ottawa today to represent the province at Canada’s “Parliament of Medicine” and take provincial ideas to a national audience.

“We’re focused on bringing motions forward to our national colleagues that will make a difference to our entire nation,” said Lynn Hansen, President of the New Brunswick Medical Society. “Our recent work on Medical Officers of Health has led to us making a formal motion to the nation’s doctors, and we hope it will be passed.”

Shining a national spotlight on provincial issues happens annually at the Canadian Medical Association’s General Council, which starts today in Ottawa. Hundreds of doctors nationwide learn from each other, bring ideas forward, and connect on the issues that matter.

“We’re also mindful that an election is coming up at home, and we’ve put forward three comprehensive proposals,” said Dr Hansen. “Multiple other provinces are doing the things doctors have proposed in New Brunswick– a commitment that no one should be without a family doctor, to build more nursing homes, and that ER wait times can and should be shorter.

As examples, Dr Hansen pointed to:

ER wait times in Ontario are already at the national benchmark in many hospitals and are reported on a hospital by hospital basis;

British Columbia and Manitoba have already made commitments that all of their citizens will have access to family doctors by a certain calendar date; and

A large number of provinces are currently building nursing home beds to provide their seniors with a better quality of life than to leave them living in hospitals.

“Other provinces are ahead of us – New Brunswick can’t be left behind,” said Dr Hansen. “These examples prove that changes can be made – it can be done.”

Doctors from New Brunswick will be in Ottawa at the meeting until Thursday.

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Founded in 1867, the New Brunswick Medical Society (NBMS) is the professional association representing all physicians in New Brunswick. It is a provincial division of the Canadian Medical Association. Its twin goals are to represent and serve physicians, and advocate for the health of New Brunswickers. Over a hundred New Brunswick doctors sit on our Board and Committees, representing the 1600 doctors in the province.

About Us

Founded in 1867, the New Brunswick Medical Society is the professional association representing all physicians in New Brunswick. Its twin goals are to represent and serve physicians, and advocate for the health of New Brunswickers.